Iran: No Intention to Expel IAEA Inspectors

FILE PHOTO: The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) flutters in front of their headquarters in Vienna, Austria March 4, 2019. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) flutters in front of their headquarters in Vienna, Austria March 4, 2019. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
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Iran: No Intention to Expel IAEA Inspectors

FILE PHOTO: The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) flutters in front of their headquarters in Vienna, Austria March 4, 2019. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) flutters in front of their headquarters in Vienna, Austria March 4, 2019. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

Iran's foreign ministry on Monday said that Tehran does not intend to expel the UN nuclear watchdog's inspectors, clarifying the implications of a controversial law approved by parliament last month.

The law, passed by the conservative dominated legislature despite opposition from the government, mandates Iran to discontinue certain inspections by late February if key conditions are not met, stoking international concerns about a possible expulsion of inspectors.

However, foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday that under the December law "Iran's cooperation with the (International Atomic Energy Agency) will not cease and it does not mean expelling the agency's inspectors."

According to AFP, the December law mandated the government to stop "the implementation of the additional protocol" to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) on February 21, if the US does not lift unilateral sanctions or other key parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran do not help Tehran to bypass those sanctions.

The "additional protocol" is a document prescribing intrusive inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities.

At present, such inspections are carried out under this protocol, in addition to regular IAEA inspections under the 2015 deal, but the additional protocol has never been ratified by Iran's parliament.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani slammed the December legislation -- known as the "strategic action plan for the lifting of sanctions and the protection of the Iranian people's interests" -- as "detrimental to the course of diplomatic activities" when it was still before parliament.

Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the 2015 multilateral nuclear accord and reimposed sanctions on Tehran in 2018.

Iran in response has retreated from most of its key nuclear commitments under the 2015 deal, which gives Tehran relief from international sanctions in exchange for limits on its nuclear program.

Rouhani's government has signaled a readiness to engage with US President Joe Biden, who took office on January 20 and who has likewise expressed willingness to return to diplomacy with Tehran.



Anti-Trump Rallies Draw Thousands Across the US

Opponents of President Donald Trump protest near the Washington Monument, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Opponents of President Donald Trump protest near the Washington Monument, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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Anti-Trump Rallies Draw Thousands Across the US

Opponents of President Donald Trump protest near the Washington Monument, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Opponents of President Donald Trump protest near the Washington Monument, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Thousands of people descended Saturday on Washington's National Mall and other cities across the United States in opposition to the policies of Donald Trump, in the largest protests since he returned to the presidency.

At a time of spreading global resentment against the Republican president, rallies took place earlier in international capitals including Paris, Rome and London.

A loose US coalition of dozens of left-leaning groups like MoveOn and Women's March organized "Hands Off" events in more than 1,000 towns and cities and in every congressional district, the groups say.

The unifying theme: the growing resentment of what the group Indivisible has called "the most brazen power grab in modern history," led by Trump, his advisor Elon Musk "and their billionaire cronies."

Trump has angered many Americans by moving aggressively to downsize the government, impose his conservative values and sharply pressure even friendly countries over trade terms -- causing stock markets to tank.

"Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights -- enabled by Congress every step of the way," Indivisible said on its website.

Many Democrats are irate that their party, in the minority in both the House of Representatives and Senate, has seemed so helpless to resist Trump's aggressive moves.